Production operations

Volkswagen Slovakia’s production halls use the Best Available Technologies (BAT) on the market and pay close attention to continually reducing energy, material and raw material consumption.

In air protection, it focuses on reducing the total amount of emissions produced, whether by preferring materials with a low amount of volatile organic compounds or by using effective separating equipment. Waste water from operations is first purified in neutralization stations and then in the central waste water treatment plant prior to release into water courses. In the area of waste management, we prioritize the recycling of waste to waste disposal landfills and thoroughly separate waste according to type throughout the plant.

You can read more about specific environmental measures below.

Press shop

Instead of equipping the main press actuator and drive mechanism with a mechanical flywheel, it is fitted with a servomechanism with energy storage (when stopping, braking). During the press cycle there is a regeneration process in which energy is recovered, resulting in a 20% decrease in energy consumption.
By fitting LED lighting in the hall, 40 % energy is saved.
The logistics area of the press shop is additionally heated with the help of air flow from press line equipment.
By using KUKA KRC4 robots 20 % energy is saved.

Body shop

An important bonding technique is energy-efficient resistance spot welding. Environmentally friendly processes are used, like bonding with adhesives with little to no solvent content and laser welding. The energy efficiency of laser aggregates has significantly increased during the past few years.
Many machines used in body production are driven hydraulically.
Relevant aggregates are equipped with catchment troughs. These protect the subsurface from leaking hydraulic fluid in the event of malfunctioning.
Smoke is deliberately extracted during welding and rid of pollutants before being released into the surroundings by means of appropriate filtering devices.
Metal residues that remain during body production are transported for recycling.
Apart from the welding workstation, the line for the surface pre-treatment of aluminium parts and neutralization station is one of the most important facilities in terms of the environment and energy, which, according to EU regulation No. 75/2010 is an IPPC facility.

Paint shop

By means of separators and filters we limit emissions during production. Apart from this, waste water is treated and cleaned before release into the recipient.
Thanks to the innovative 2010 paint process, the filling layer is omitted. The function of the filler is integrated into the base coat, hereby reducing the creation of dangerous waste and vehicle weight by 0.5 kg.
E-Scrub is a technology for separating waste paints which result when painting the bodywork of the New Small Family series. Paint which is not applied to the body during the spraying process remains in the air of the cabin in the form of aerosols. These aerosols are forced by air circulation to disperse into the separating system. This system removes paint particles from the air, whereby 90 % of the air purified in this manner once again becomes circulating air. This technology was first introduced for mass production at the Bratislava plant of VW SK in 2011.
After identifying problems in the frequent occurrence of impurities when painting car interiors, the company DÜRR created a new type of atomizer heads for spraying robots (EcoBell 3Ci), specially constructed to spray the interior parts of the body. The stronger and narrower tubes can focus and point at the interior much more effectively, while the paint charged with an opposite polarity as a negatively charged surface immediately adheres to the surface, enabling greater speed and effectivity of the process.

Assembly

At the end of the line the vehicle approaches the adjustment workstation, which, like the vibration system on the first test drive is equipped with waste air purification. In the vehicle assembly area, waste from the packaging of car parts is reused or recycled as secondary raw material. When collecting and separating waste, adhesive residues and cleaning cloths containing solvents, for example, are separated from secondary raw materials.

Production of engine-gearbox assemblies

According to prescribed standards, gearbox oil is poured into gearboxes by means of fully automated equipment. This equipment guarantees the 100 % quality of our products. At the same time, oil that ensures lifelong gearbox functionality without the need for an oil change is used.
The largest and very important facility in terms of the environment and energy in the hall is the DKTL line with its neutralizing station (an IPPC facility according to EU Regulation No. 75/2010).

Logistics

The Bratislava plant of Volkswagen Slovakia manufactures 6 products under five Group brands. In order to ensure sufficient parts for production, the most modern logistics systems and technologies are used. The entire volume of material, which represents about 30 thousand types of parts for all six products, is managed by means of various logistics systems e.g. LOGIS and MEMFIS.
To deliver material from the warehouse to the place of use, different innovation technologies are used, like Pick by Point, Pick by Light and FTS, an unmanned transport system.

Wastewater treatment plant

Volkswagen Slovakia operates its own wastewater treatment plant, which, during the history of the plant, has undergone several modernizations and renovations to increase its capacity and improve the purification of water from manufacturing and non-manufacturing operations. The crayfish breeding station, filled with purified water from the treatment plant is an indicator of the quality of the purified water.

Selected measures and BAT technology

Management of adhesives
Bags with adhesives are placed in the barrels for adhesives, and as a result only the bags themselves, containing a minimum amount of adhesive, are generated as waste. Empty barrels remain clean and can be used again. The amount of waste from barrels has been reduced by up to 70% and 576 barrels are saved yearly.

Driverless transport systems
Driverless transport systems that have replaced forklifts are used for the transport of material from the logistics department to the relevant workstations, hereby saving costs and energy by up to 60%. Transport systems are centrally controlled and are charged through power loops embedded in the floor.

Instead of pneumatic tools, which function on the principle of compressed air, power tools are used in the production halls at VW SK, saving up to 30% energy.

Smart lighting in the halls at the Bratislava plant of VW SK automatically switch on when employees enter the workplace. Lighting is managed centrally and is switched on only when really needed. Smart lighting has also been fitted into the Martin production hall, saving 264 tons of CO2 yearly.